Train-control system.



PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

I H. B. WHITE. TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 20, 1902.

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PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

'H. E. WHITE.

TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1902.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

H. E. WHITE. TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NO MODEL,

IHVENTQF Harold EM/hite.

No. 758,280. PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

- H. E. WHITE.

TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 20, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 N0 MODEL.

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Rm m m PW VE MM No. 758,230. Patented Apri126 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

HAROLD E. WHITE, OF SOHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRAIN7CONTROL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 758,230, dated April 26, 1904:. Application filed November 20,1902. Serial No. 132,158. (No model.)

To ll wh m it y OOYLOWW manner I am enabled by reversing the direc- Be itknown thatLHARoLD E. WHITE, acitition of current flowing in two of said train 5 zen of the United States, residing at Schenec conductors to reverse the direction of rotation tady, county of Schenectady, State of New of all the motor-armatures, and consequently York, have invented certain new and useful the direction of movement of the train.

Improvements in Train-Control Systems, of The system constituting my present invenwhich the following is a specification. tion is one in which all the current for the My present invention relates to systems of motors flows through the contacts of the concontrol for motorcircuits, being especially troller from which the current is for the time adapted to the control of a plurality of motors being operated, and in orderto adapt the caon a train. I pacity of the controller for different numbers In certain systems of control for electric of motors I provide each controller with an motors, both where the motors are mounted adjustable-rheostat the resistance and currenton a single car and where they are mounted carrying capacity of which may be varied in 15 on a number of cars connected together to accordance with the number of motor-cars in form a train, the control of said motors has the train. been accomplished by means of controllers of In the accompanying drawings,whichshow the so-called separately-actuated contact preferred embodiments of my invention, Figtype controlled loya master-controller located ure 1 illustrates diagrammatically the motor 20 at any desired point on the car or train. In and controller connections on a single car other systems the ordinary series parallel equipped with my improved system'of train controllers on the motor-cars have been so incontrol using four train-wires or train-conterconnected by electrical or pneumatic means ductors. Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, are diagramthat when one is moved they are all moved matic representations of a train made up of a 2 5 simultaneously into corresponding operative plurality of cars, showing the manner in which positions. In other systems it has been custhe train wires or conductors are connected tomary to use large motor-controllers mounted together at the controllers when the armatures 7 5 on each car or vehicle and to control or opand field combinations throughout the train erate the same simultaneously by means of a are to be connected in multipleforward, mul- 30 master-controller, which may belocated at any tiple reversed, series forward and series repart of the train. In all of the systems above versed, respectively. Fig. 6 represents diareferred to complicated controller connecgrammatically the controller and .motor contions and a great number of train-wires are nections of a single car in a system using three essential. v train-wires and a ground return; and Figs. 7

35 The object of my invention is to simplify to 10, inclusive, are diagramssimilar to Figs. the motor and controller connections in a 2 to 5, inclusive, illustrating the system shown train-controlled system and to reduce thenumin Fig. 6 applied to a plurality of carswhich 8 5 her of train-wires. I accomplish this result are connected together to formia train and by connecting the motors throughout the train showing the connections tobe made when con- 4 in pairs in such a manner that the armature necting the armature and field combinations of each motor of a pair is connected in series in multiple forward, multiple reversed, series with the field of the other motor of said pair forward, and series reversed, respectively. 6

- and then treating said armature and field com- Referring now to the system shown in Fig. binations as though they were series motors, 1, O and (J represent diagrammatically the 45 connecting them in series and in parallel in controllers located at the ends of each car of the customary manner. Also by connecting the train, the controller O being shown in desaid armature and field combinations to the velopment in a manner customary in illustrattrain-wires or train-conductors in the proper ing such a structure. The motors on the car are represented by 1V and M the armatures and fields of which are represented by a and a and f and respectively. The train wires or conductors, which run throughout the train, are represented by a, 7), 0, and (Z. The field f" of the motor M is shown as connected in series with the armature a of the motor M between the train-conductors (a and 7), while the armature a of the motor M is shown as connected in series with the field f of the motor M between the train-conductors c and cl. The train-conductors 0 and Z are shown crossed at the point n, for reasons which will be hereinafter clearly pointed out. The controllers C and C are adapted to connect the armature and field combinations throughout the train in series and parallel relationship in a manner similar to the ordinary series-parallel controller for a pair of motors. In the controller C the relatively fixed contact-fingers are represented by 1 to la, inclusive, while the contact-segments carried by the rotatable drum or cylinder are represented by 1 3 to 14", inclusive, and 1" to 14:, inclusive. The fixed contact-fingers of the reversing-switch RS are represented by l to r, inclusive, while the contact-segments carried by the rotatable member of said switch are represented by l to 5*, inclusive. An auxiliary controller (J is adapted to regulate the amount of resistance which is to be connected in circuit according to the number of cars constituting the train. The small circles in them, y, and 2 positions represent rows of fixed contactfin gers in said auxiliary controller, which are adapted to contact with the contact-segments 1 to 6 inclusive, which are mounted on the rotatable drum or cylinder of said auxiliary controller. The adjustable resistances of the controller are represented by R, R and R If one car is to constitute the train, the rotatable memberof the auxiliary controller C will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the contact-segments 1 to 6, inclusive, will contact with the fingers which are located in the row designated by m. When the auxiliary controller is-in this position, the resistances represented by R are the only ones that are brought into the motor-circuit when either the controller C or O is operated. \Vhen two cars are used to form the train, the rotatable member of the auxiliary controller C may be moved so that the contact-segments 1 to 6 will engage with the contact-fingers occupying the rows designated by m and thereby connecting the resistances R and R in parallel and reducing the amount of resistanee which will be connected in circuit when either of the controllers G or (J is operated. More current is thereby allowed to flow through the motor-circuits for a certain position of the controller C when two cars are operated together than when one car is used. As more cars are added to the train the rotatable member of the auxiliary controller C will be turned so that the contact-segment 1" to 6, inclusive, will engage with the proper contact-lingers, so as to reduce the amount of resistance which will be connected in the motor-circuits. The amount of current which will be allowed to pass to the train-wires and motors through the controller, which for the time being is operated by the motorman, may thus be regulated in proportion to the number of cars constituting the train. In Fig. 1 the auxiliary controller C" is shown of the proper size to vary the resistance to corre* spond to trains of from one to three cars.

In Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, 1 have represented diagrammatically a train composed of three cars. The cars constituting the train are indicated by 1, 2, and 3. The direction in which the train is supposed to move is represented by the dotted arrows, while the course of the current through the fields and armatures of the respective motors is represented by full arrows. At the right-hand end of each figure by means of positive and negative signs I have indicated the train-wires, which are respectively connected to the trolley and ground when the motor-armature and field combinations throughout the train are connected in multiple forward, multiple re verse, series forward, and series reverse positions, respectively. The train-wire couplings between the respective cars are represented by l, 2, and 3, respectively, It will be noted that each car has one pair of wires crossed, as shown in the diagrams, and each coupling has also one pair of wires crossed. This arrangement will give the same direction of movement for all the cars in the train when the controller is operated regardless of the relative position of the cars or couplers. To show that such is the case, the car designated as l in each of Figs. 2 to 55, inclusive, is shown as connected in a reversed direction relative to the cars 2 and 3-that is to say, the car is connected so that the motor M in car 1 is at the opposite end of the car from the motor M" in the car 2. By the plus and minus signs are indicated the train-wires which are connected to the trolley and the wires which are connected to the return by the controller. For instance, in Fig. 2 the train wires or conductors a and (Z are connected to trolley, while the train-wires 7/ and c are connected to the return, thereby connecting the motor-armature and field combinations throughout the train in multiple, as will be readily seen by tracing the circuits between respective train wires or conductors. From the train-wire a the current passes through the field of the motor M", then through the armature a of the motor M to the trainwire 5 to ground or return. The current passes from the train-Wire (Z through the field f of the motor M, through the armature (r of the motor M to the train-wire c, and return. The same circuits may be traced in the car IIO designated by 2, it being borne in mind that one pair of the train-wires in each of the cars and in each of the couplings is crossed. Since the car designated at 1 is reversed in the train relative to the cars 2 and 3, it will be seen that the armatures of themotors M and M of said car 1 will have to have a reversed direction of rotation as compared with the direction of rotation which the said armatures would have if the said car 1 had been connected in the train the same as cars 2 and 3 in order to give the car 1 the same direction of translation as the said cars 2 and The same direction of translation'is secured by reversing all the leads of the motors of the car 1, which is a common characteristic of series-motor combinations. By a proper manipulation of the controller both series and multiple connections of all the motors on the train are obtained, and to secure the series arrangement it is only necessary to connect two of the train-wires together at the controller end of the train, as I have indicated at the right hand. of Fig. 4, the train-wire a being connected to trolley, while the trainwires 5 and (Z are connected together and the train-wire 0 connected to the return. To obtain a reversed directionof translation of the train, it is merely necessary to reverse the trolley and ground connections of one pair of train-wires as, for instance, as shown in Fig. 3, the train-wire 0 is connected to trolley and the train-wire d is connected to ground, which is just the reverse of the connection shown in Fig. 2. The same statement applies to the series reverse connections shown in Fig. 5, in which the conductor a is connected to the return, while the conductord is connected to trolley, the intermediate train-wires or trainconductors I) and 0 being connected together. In this way a reversed direction of movement of the train is obtained while the motor-armature and field combinations are connected in series. The course of the current through the motor-armature and fields can be traced readily on Fig. 5.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the circuit through the motors when the controller C is in its first operative or first series position may be traced as follows: From the trolley T the current flows through the contact-finger 1 of the con- "troller C, through the contact-segments 1 and'3 on the cylinder of said controller, through contact-finger 3, conductor 3, section of resistance R", conductor 8, contact-fingers 8 and 9,segments 9 and 10, contact-finger 10, train-wire'or train-conductor a, field f of the motor M, armature cfof the motor M train-wire b, contact-finger 12, segments 12 and 11 contact-finger 11 to contact-finger 1, segment 1, contact-finger 2 of the reversingswitch RS, train-wire or train-conductor c, armature a of the motor M, field f of the motor M train-conductor d, contact-finger 4, segment 2,and contact-finger 3 of the reversing-switch RS, contact-finger 13 of the til the controller reaches its final series position. Then the motor-armature and field com= binations are connected in parallel with each other and in series with a section of the resistance R and the operation of reducing the resistance of the circuit, as above described, is repeated while the controller is passing through itssuccessive parallel operative positions.

To reverse the'direction of rotation of the motor-armatures, it is only necessary to reverse the connections of a single pair of trainwiresthat is, it is only necessary to change the relative direction of the current in the armature and field of each motor. If the current is flowing in the same direction in the armature and field of a motor to produce a certain direction of armature rotation, it is only necessary to reverse the direction of current in either the field or the armature to produce a reverse direction of rotation of said armature. This is accomplished by throwing the reversing-switch RS into position, solthat the contact-segments 3 4 and 5 will register with the contact-fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4 With the reversing-switch in this position and the .controller C in its first parallel position the circuits throughthe motors may be traced as follows: from trolley T through contactsegments 1, 2, and 3, contact-fingers 2 and 3, conductors 2 and 3, through two sections of the resistance R in parallel, conductor 8, contact-fingers 8 and 9, conductor-segments 9 and 10, where it divides, one circuit following the path through contact-finger 10, train-wire a, field f of the motor M, armature a of the IIO motor M train-wire b, contact-finger 12, contact-segments 12, 13, and 14, contact-finger 14 to ground at G, the other circuit following the path from the contact-segment 10 to contact-segment 11,contact-finger 11,contact-finger l of the reversing-switch RS, contact-segments 3 and 5, contact-finger 4 train-Wire (,Z, field f 2 of the'motor M armature a ofgthe motor M, train-wirec, contact-finger 2 of the reversing-switch RS, contact-segment 4, contact-finger 3 contact-finger 13 of the control- .ler C, contact-segments 13 and 14, contactfinger 14to ground at G. The circuits through the motor -armature and field combinations when the controller is in its other operative positions may be traced readily on this figure.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, I have shown a train-control systern in which one of the fields of each motorarmature and field combination is connected to the ground or return circuit rather than to one of the train-wires or train-conductors. By making such connections I am enabled to do away with one of the train-wires, leaving but three wires to be connected throughout the train for controlling a plurality of motors. In these figures C and C M M as before, represent the controllers and motors, respectively, on each car. The field f of the motor M is connected in series with the armature a of the motor M between the train-conductors 5 and a, while the field f of the motor M is connected in series with the armature (0 of the motor h/ between the train-conductor 0 and the ground or return at Gr.

Referring now to Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, it will be seen that in the system herein shown it is unnecessary to cross any pair of the trainwires or train-conductors to avoid thereversal of the motor connections when the cars are turned end for end in making up a train. The train-wires a, c, and 7) are so arranged that a three-wire coupler or jumper, such as is designated by 1 and 2*, is all that is required to connect the train-wires of the cars constituting the train. As in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, the direction of translation of the train is designated by dotted arrows, while the course of the current flowing through the fields and armatures of the motors M and M of the respective cars of the train is designated by full arrows.

Fig. 7 shows the course of the current and the connections between the trolley and ground or return when the motor-armature and field combinations of the train are connected in multiple, the train-wires a and 0 being connected to trolley and the train-wire 5 being connected to ground, as indicated by the positive and negative signs at the right-hand end of said figure. In the same manner Fig. 8 represents the connections made at the controller to give the train a reverse direction of movement with the motor-armature and field combinations connected in multiple. In this case the train-wires 0 and L are connected to trolley and wire a to ground or return, the trolley and ground connections being represented, as

before, by positive and negative signs, respectively. Fig. 9 shows the connections made at the controller when the motor-armature and field combinations are to be connected in series when the train is running forward and in Fig. 10 in series when running backward. The wire a in Fig. 9 is connected to trolley, while the WI] es 0 and I) are connected together, and in Fig. 10 wire Z) is connected to trolley, while the wires (0 and 0 are connected together, the return-circuit being completed through the respective fields f to ground at G. To illustrate the course of the current taken when the motors are in their series position, as shown in Fig. 9, the circuit may be traced as follows: Starting at trolley indicated by the positive sign at the right-hand end of the figure, the current flows through the train-conductor a, armature a of the motor M, (car 3,) field f of the motor M, train-conductor 6 being connected at the controller to trainconductor 0, thence through armature u of motor M, field f of motor M to ground at G. The course of the current through the fields and armatures of the motors in car 1 may be readily traced by following the full arrows shown in this figure, the said car 1 being reversed relative to the ears 2 and 3. It will be noted that when the ears are reversed, such as car 1, in making up the train illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, the relative connections between the train-wires (z, c, and b are not aflected, but that the current is fed into said train-wires in such a manner as to change the direction of rotation of the armatures of the motors on said car 1, thereby producing the same direction of translation of the car that is produced in cars 2 and 3.

Referring again to Fig. 6, RS represents, as in Fig. 1, the reversing-switch of the con troller 1 to 4", inclusive, representing the relatively fixed contact-fingers of said reversing-switch, and 1", 2, 1", 2", 3", and 4" represent the contact-segments mounted on the movable member of said reversing-switch. In the controller C the contact-fingers are represented byl to 13, inclusive, the contactfinger 13 being grounded at Gr. The contactsegments on the rotatable drum or cylinder of said controller are represented by 1 to 6", inclusive, 8", 10", and 11", 4" to 10", inclusive, 12", and 13. The said contact-segments of the cylinder are represented in development, as is customary in illustrating such structures. The regulating resistance for the motors of this system is represented in this figure being sufiicient for one car only. The said resistance may be constructed and connected in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1; but for simplicity in diagrammatic illustrationI have shown merely asingle set of resistances R. The controllers C and (I are adapted to connect the motor-armature and fieldcombinations on a single car or'a plurality of cars in series and parallel. The circuit through the motors M and M when the controller U is in its first operative position and the contact-fingers 1" to 1", inclusive, of the reversing-switch are in register with the contact-segments 1 and 2" may be traced as follows: from the trolley T through the contact-finger 1, contact-segments 1" and 2", contact-finger 2, the entire resistance R, contact-finger 8, contact-finger 1", contact-se ment 1, contact-fin er 2 of the reversing-switch RS, train wire or conductor 7), field f of motor M, armature a of motor M train-wire a, contact-finger 3, contact-segment 2, contact-finger 41" of the reversingswitch RS, contact-fingers 12 and 11 of controller 0, segments 11" and 10", contact-linger 10, train-conductor 0, armature a of motor M, field f of motor M to ground at G. The circuits through the motors when the controller is in any one of its subsequent operative positions may be readily traced on the diagram shown in Fig. 6.

It will be noted that the reversing-switches of the controllers C and in a car are to be so connected to the train-wires a, c, and b as to give the proper direction of translation to the car when thrown intothe desired operative positions, it being necessary merely to reverse the connections to the train-wires a and b to accomplish this result.

In the systems herein shown and described each car equipment is indicated as consisting of two motors only. The car equipments might, however, comprise four or more motors, as will be evident, if the jumper connection between two of the equipments shown in the drawings is considered to be a permanent connection. 7

The systems illustrated herein are merely preferred embodiments of my invention, and I do not care to be limited to the specific forms shown, since many modifications may readily be made by persons skilled in the art to which this invention pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a motor-control system, a pair of motors, permanent connections between the field of each motor of said pair and the armature of the other motor of the pair, and means for connecting said motor armature and field combinations in series and in parallel, as desired.

2. In a motor-control system, a pair of motors, permanent connections between the field of each motor of said pair and the armature of the other motor of the pair, and means for reversing the direction of current in one of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said motor-armature and field combinations are connected, and means for controlling the application of current to said train-wires.

5. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair,- three trainwires to which said armatureand field combinations are connected, and a motor-controller connected to said train-wires.

6. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said motor-armature and field combinations are connected, and a controller for connecting said motor-armature and field combinations of each pair of motors in series or in parallel as desired.

7 In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said motor-armature and field combinations are connected, means for controlling the application of current to said train-wires, an adjustable resistance adapted to be connected to said train-wires, and means for adjusting said resistance proportionately to the number of pairs of motors on the train.

8. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between .the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said motor-armature and field combinations are connected, a controller for connecting said motor-armature and field combinations of each pair of motors in series or in parallel as desired, an adjustable resistance adapted to be connected to said train-wires, and an auxiliary controller for adjusting said resistance to correspond with the number of pairs of motors on the train.

9. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of'said pair, train-wires to .which said motor-armature and field combinations are connected, a motor-controller connected with said train-wires, and an auxiliary controller adapted to decrease the resistance which is connected in series with said trainwires for corresponding positions ofthe motor-controller as the number of cars composing the train is increased.

7 10. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each mptor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said armature and field combinations are connected, said train-wires beingso arranged throughout the train that the direction of rotation of the motor-armatures of a single car will-be reversed when the said car is turned end for end in making up the train.

11. In a train-control system, aplurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said armature and field combinations are connected, and couplings for said trainwires, one pair of said train-wires in each car and each coupling being crossed so as to maintain the same direction of movement of the car when said car is turned end for end in making up the train.

12. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said armature and held combinations are connected said train-wires being so arranged throughout the train that the direction of rotation of the motor-armatures on a single car will be reversed when the said car is turned end for end in making up the train,

v and a reversing-switch for reversing the connections of a single pair of train-wires to reverse the direction of rotation of all the motor-armatures on the train.

13. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said armature and field combinations are connected, couplings for said train-wires, one pair of said train-wires in each car and in each coupling being crossed so as to maintain the same direction of movement of the car when said car is turned end for end in making up the train, and a plurality of reversingswitches each of which is adapted to reverse the connections of a single pair of train-wires to reverse the direction of rotation of all the armatures of the motors connected to said trainwires.

14. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the held of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, three train wires to which said armature and field combinations are connected, a motor-controller connected to said trainwires, and a reversing-switch adapted to reverse the connections of two of said train-wires to reverse the direction of rotation of all themotorarmatures on the train.

15. In a train-control system, a plurality of pairs of motors, connections between the field of each motor of each pair and the armature of the other motor of said pair, train-wires to which said motor-armature and lield combinations are connected, a motor-controller connected with said train-wires and adapted to connect said armature and field combinations in series and in parallel as desired, and a reversing-switch adapted to reverse the connections of two of said train-wires to reverse the direction of rotation of all the motor-armatures on the train.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of November, 1902.

HAROLD E. WHI'ITF.

WVitnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, I'IELIJN ORFORD. 

